Category Archives: Weekly News Summary

According to an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the national obesity rate in 2013-2014 reached 35% among men and 40% among women. The 40% number for women represents a linear increase since 2005, while obesity rates for men have remained relatively stagnant. Study authors suggest that insufficient data exists to make an accurate assessment of the causes for these trends, and recommend further studies be conducted.

Western State Hospital has a reputation for being a dangerous work environment, where employees and patients have been subjected to violence in the past. Washington Governor Jay Inslee recently replaced the hospital’s CEO, Ron Adler, with an experienced manager of state mental health systems, Cheryl Strange. Federal Regulators and Western State Hospital have hammered out a detailed plan to correct the safety concerns.

Dr. Stephen Reznicek, of Grays Harbor Community Hospital, has been building a top-tier urology clinic on the fourth floor of the hospital. The clinic helps to meet the huge demand for urology services in the area. The clinic anticipates future growth the an expanding medical team, including a new urologist later this year.

Dr. Reznicek places an emphasis on non-invasive solutions for men with prostate and fertility concerns. One of the first hurdles to overcome with new patients is just starting the conversation. Urologists recommend regular check-ups, especially as men grow older.

A recent study published by the Ponemon Institute has revealed that half of all privacy and security data breaches in healthcare are attributable to malicious criminal attacks. The remaining 50% of data breaches can be blamed on employee mistakes, third-party errors, and stolen computers & devices. Data breaches can result in medical identify theft, as hackers are able to acquire names, social security numbers, and other confidential information about patients.

In an interview with HealthcareITNews, Seattle Children’s Hospital IT security manager David Severski notes that security technologies need to be adapted to protect against these malicious attacks. “If you are not applying a data-driven, scientific approach to managing your resources, you are managing at best by instinct,” he added. “And in a competitive business world, instinct is not enough.”

Cascade Valley Hospital was the last independent hospital in Washington’s Snohomish County. Cascade Valley began looking for an opportunity to consolidate in 2013, when it became apparent that the independent hospital needed an influx of financial support to continue serving their rural community. A previous agreement to join PeaceHealth fell through in 2014. Patients in the region can look forward to expanded services and updated equipment.

Drs. Klane White and David Fajgenbaum wrote in the opinion section of The Seattle Times that “There are 30 million Americans affected by 7,000 rare diseases, and, of those, only 5 percent have Food and Drug Administration-approved therapies.” The article calls for congress to pass the OPEN ACT, encouraging pharmaceutical companies to study the benefits of modifying existing drugs to be used for rare medical conditions.

MultiCare Health System and CHI Franciscan Health are planning a new psychiatric hospital in Tacoma. The $41 million project would create a 120-bed hospital in Pierce County, and the Alliance for South Sound Health is seeking funding from the Tacoma City Council and Pierce County to help with construction costs. The hospitals have requested $1.5 million from both municipal governments, and they’ve been pledged an additional $400,000 from the city of Auburn.

According to preliminary numbers from the National Center for Health Statistics, the death rate in the United States has increased for the first time since 2005. Some causes of death which have increased include Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, suicides, drug overdoses, accidents, and firearm deaths. The rate of death in 2014 was 723.2 deaths per 100,000 people, and it increased to 729.5 in 2015.

The Olympic Medical Center has found a replacement for their outgoing medical oncologist, Dr. Tom Kummet, MD. Dr. Rachna Anand, DO, who trained in oncology at Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia, will take up the mantel. In addition to Dr. Anand, Olympic Medical Center has expanded their medical oncology department by bringing on nurse practitioner Tamara Montgomery, MSN, NPC-C, OCN.

Alaska’s Director of Health Care Services has notified Medicaid providers that their claims won’t be paid for an undisclosed period of time. In a letter sent to providers, Director Margaret Brodie states that “we are challenged by a tight budget situation” and therefore “it is necessary for us to temporarily pend some Medicaid claims while Medicaid funds are reallocated among accounts”.

Thanks to increased funding from the State, The University of Washington School of Medicine will be welcoming the largest ever student body. In partnership with Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA is set to see 60 new medical school students matriculate in August. In the midst of news reports about a coming physician shortage, this new public and private partnership indicates that the state is taking steps to address the shortfall.

A study by Studdert, Bismark, et al. in the New England Journal of Medicine has revealed that 32% of all malpractice claims paid out in the United States can be attributed to just 1% of physicians. The study also finds that doctors who have paid more than two claims have a 24% chance of doing so again within the following two years.

The impending shortage of medical practitioners looks to be dire. Washington State will be short 7,000 nurses by 2025 according to a 2014 study by the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). 57,800 Registered Nurses were actively practicing in 2012, with an expected increase to 68,100 in 2025. The DHHS estimates that Washington State will require 75,100 RNs in order to meet the growing demand for aide in the state.

The Overlake Medical Center has been recognized by the American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery as a Comprehensive Center, meeting high standards for quality in bariatric patient care. Overlake credits their superb staff and leadership surgeons for meeting and exceeding the highest expectations for structure, process, and outcomes.

Lisa Herrick of GraysHarbor Talk investigates the qualities which make this community hospital such a destination for perinatal mothers. Staff are credited with exceptional leadership and experience among the physician and nursing team, who are integral to the welcoming environment at the Family Birth Center. Private birthing suites and post-partum rooms allow for each patient to have personalized care with highly-qualified practitioners.

The Swedish Medical Center’s Cherry Hill Campus currently serves 380,000 neurological and vascular care patients annually. Already operating at 100% capacity, Swedish has predicted that 500,000 patients will seek care at this facility in coming years, and they’ve sought approval from the Seattle City Council to expand the campus to address this need. The project has become a contentious issue for neighborhood activists who argue that the additional 1.4 million square feet expansion will negatively affect traffic, community appeal, and sun exposure. The city council is expected to announce a decision shortly.

An article by Mohammed Kloub posted on Crosscut.com highlights some of the efforts being made to make healthcare more accessible outside of the Seattle area. Citing the coming Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine opening in 2017 and a new partnership between Gonzaga University and the University of Washington, Kloub makes a compelling argument that high quality medical care will be more accessible in the Eastern part of the state in coming years.

As Kaiser’s “Health Care Career Scholarship Program” enters its eighth year, external reviews have shown that the program is reaching a diverse student body across Washington and Oregon states. The program awards $2,000, $5,000, and $10,000 scholarships to one high school senior at each of 133 public high schools in their service area. The program has awarded scholarships to 900+ students, the vast majority of whom are from demographics racial and ethnic groups underrepresented in the healthcare industry.

Molly Rosbach, writing for the Yakima Herald, takes readers into the world of medical scribes in emergency rooms around Washington state. Medical Scribes allow medical practitioners to spend more time with patients without having to worry about paperwork in between visits. Medical Scribes, often pre-med students, are able to increase a hospital’s capacity for patient care while simultaneously learning about the process of seeing patients as a physician.

One emergency room doctor notes that “[b]y the time these kids start med school, they’ve literally witnessed thousands and thousands of patient encounters, and they’re light years ahead of their classmates”.

A survey of 450,000 employees has indicated that employees won’t always choose the least expensive option for the same treatments. The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, actually found that only 10% of employees opened the price calculator, and of those the average out-of-pocket spending actually increased by an average $18.

The National Center for Shaken Baby Syndrome has released a DVD and phone app designed to help parents cope with an overly-vocal newborn. Early adopters MultiCare Health System report that the program has been a success. One new mother reported that the app provided extra comfort by offering tips about when to worry about a crying baby, and some advice on how to get through a difficult phase. Read more about the Period of PURPLE Crying program at http://purplecrying.info/

Jefferson Healthcare has once again earned top marks in the Human Rights Campaign’s annual survey of health care facilities. Jefferson has met nondiscrimination and training criteria reflective of an organization that offers care inclusive of LGBT patients and their families.

The Allen Institute for Brain Science has published a comprehensive online portal which enables the public to learn more about brain injury. Brain-map.org is the result of a collaboration between the Allen Institute, the University of Washington Medicine, Group Health.

Edmonds Family Medicine, EvergreenHealth Partners, MultiCare Connected Care, Overlake Medical Center, Seattle Children’s and Virginia Mason have formed The Puget Sound High Value Network. The goal is to create competition for high quality and cost-effective care in the Seattle area, without consolidating organizations.

IHC, inc has published a report on the future physician shortfall in America.The report projects there will be between 61K-94K fewer physicians than needed by 2025, and that demand for practitioners will increase at the same time as the population over 65 grows by 41%.

Major research has been published in The BMJ Journal which warns that medical error causes more than 250,000 deaths annually. Researchers suggest that more data is needed in order to understand the problem, and propose death certificates be amended to more accurately reflect the cause of death.

An article in Health Affairs has determined that 7 of the 10 most profitable hospitals in America are not-for-profit organizations. Non profit status allows many organizations to avoid property and other taxes, which may contribute to reduced expenses. Hospital associations report that profitability should be an indication of proper management and greater efficiency, and that increased revenues are used to train staff and purchase better equipment.